4 Years to Go!

That still sounds forever away. It's been about 8 months since I started talking about the vacation, and nearly half a year since I last posted about it. (Of course, with 48 months to go I don't plan on making a ton of posts during the next couple of years.)

Today is the 4-year point before the vacation (the first Sunday in December), assuming we leave on the tentative date of December 4, 2011 (but is by no means final). Everyone I've spoken to (I've only not talked with Steve about it) has either shown interest or said they're definitely in, so my goal of having everyone who is invited join us is looking attainable. I wanted to just quickly remind everyone about the vacation, and reaffirm that I'm completely serious about and committed to it.

(Note: if the "4-year" and "2011" are confusing, check out my previous post. 5 years was just too long to wait! ;)

I don't know what it's like in everyone else's neck of the woods, but today in Toronto is pretty nasty outside. The temperature is 0 degrees and it's quite slick and slushy outside. Surprisingly, not many flights out of Buffalo have been canceled as of 11:00 this morning, and it's a gorgeous near-30 degrees Celsius in central Florida right now (a bit warmer than average).

Serious collaborative planning will begin around 15 months out (September 2010), and plans will be finalized and bookings made around the 12-month mark. There are a few reasons for this; the best rates are typically available around then, we'll be able to book the dates we want long before everything is booked up, and I don't want to take any chances, especially when coordinating such a big group.

It's been nearly a year since Mary and I went to Disney World, and we still think and talk about it frequently. I had no clue that I would become such a raving Disney World fanatic, but I guess that's why it's the top tourist destination in the world. I don't often get giddy about things, but Disney World totally freaks me out that way, man.

I've tidied up the blog a bit and streamlined a few things. There are no more comments for individual posts; instead, there's the message board at the top of the page. No need to register; just sign in temporarily with your name (this aspect doesn't seem to be working properly at the moment, but I'm working on it). Feel free to chat with each other about the vacation, comment on posts, and ask questions.

While the vacation is still quite far out, I have a great Disney planning book and DVDs (for Disney World and Disney Cruise Lines) available for anyone who may be interested in borrowing them. Just let me know!

I probably won't post another entry for a long while again, but feel free to chat me up about the vacation any time, by e-mail, the blog, or in person. Until next time!

Matt

Earlier than 2012? And Kingdom Bound in 2008?

Does anyone have any opinions about The Great Gerryts Clan Vacation possibly moving closer by a year to 2011?

Also, I'm thinking about organizing a trip to Darien Lake in New York, for Kingdom Bound. Darien Lake is a theme park similar to Canada's Wonderland. Kingdom Bound is a 4-day Christian festival featuring the most popular names in Christian music, as well as high-profile Christian speakers. In addition, the park's rides and attractions run as usual. Mary and I went down a few years ago, and I've been down about 4 times in total. It's a great experience, and best of all, it's very inexpensive. For admission to the 4-day festival, including a campsite with water and electricity hookups, the cost per person is roughly $158 (child under 3 are free). This doesn't include food, but does include admission to the park and all concerts and speakers. That price is based on 12 people divided between 2 campsites. Other accommodations are available, such as a hotel room or a rental RV.

Kingdom Bound 2008 will likely take place in August. If anyone is interested in attending, please let me know.

Disney Cruise DVD

I have a DVD of a Travel Channel special that was partially filmed on our very cruise back in January. It's a much more interesting and informative look at the Disney Cruise Line than the Disney planning DVD, and it's up for grabs for anyone who would like to borrow it. Anyone who is interested in the cruise part of the trip should give it a look; just shoot me an e-mail or give me a call. I'd post it online, but not everyone has a broadband connection, and it's a good 45 minutes long.

Discussion: Group Itinerary

This is the first "Discussion" post (note: Discussion posts are no longer, as the message board has replaced comments). These will be short and will pose a question or topic for discussion in the comments.

While at Disney World, would you prefer to have your daily itinerary planned for you? Do you plan on staying as a big group, or going off on your own or with a smaller group?

Kid Stuff

Disney World is for people of every age. I plan on discussing things that appeal to adults, but in this post I wanted to mention a few cool things geared toward kids.

Pin Trading
Most Disney Cast Members (employees) in the parks wear lanyards with Disney-themed pins on them, which they will gladly trade with guests who also have pins. There are countless pins, some more rare than others, in countless pin sets. Pins can also be purchased in the parks, but they're not cheap. Starter sets can be bought online for a reasonable price, which is what we plan on doing for the boys before we leave for the trip. Also, some Cast Members wear green lanyards, which means they only trade pins with kids. Of course, adults can pin trade as well, as Mary wants to do.



Disney Dollars
Disney Dollars are pretty much what you'd expect; they're equivalent to $1 U.S. currency, and can be spent on just about anything at Disney World. What I really like about Disney Dollars is how they can be used:

1. to reward kids for doing [extra] chores and/or good behaviour (if they already receive allowance, perhaps a percentage could be given as Disney dollars)
2. to show kids how much money they have to spend while at Disney World on souvenirs, toys, etc.
   
3. as supplementary gifts for special occasions, such as birthdays and Christmas

Disney Dollars are only sold in the U.S., but I plan to buy a stack online a few years before the vacation (I'll ask around to see who wants me to buy some for them also).



Epcot Passports and Scavenger Hunt
Epcot is divided into two sections: Future World and the World Showcase. Future World has lots of rides and attractions, while the World Showcase is a huge... showcase of different countries from around the world, including Canada. Each country, which is hosted by Cast Members who are actually from that country, typically has a ride or attraction, gift shop, restaurant or two, and an educational exhibition. They also have an activity for kids to do at each pavilion, for which they receive a sticker. Once they have collected stickers from each country, the kids receive a poster. In addition, Disney sells passport kits containing stickers and a passport, which can be stamped and signed by representatives from each country.

Why About When

I'm going to pretend that the blog is still being visited on an occasional basis, and also that someone has submitted a question about the vacation. ;) I've been talking with Brenda about the proposed vacation date lately, and I thought I would talk about why that date is ideal.

First, why leave on a Sunday and return on a Thursday eleven days later? Room rates are double their usual rates on Friday and Saturday nights, so while it kind of sucks that we don't take advantage of Saturday, it also provides a typically non-work, non-school day to pack and prepare. Sunday will be primarily a travel day, as it will likely be around 3:00-4:00 p.m. when we arrive at our resort. There will be time to unpack, have dinner, relax and explore. Monday through Saturday will provide 6 full days to visit the parks, which is ideal. Sunday is a transition day; we'll leave the resort around 10:00-11:00 a.m. and be aboard the cruise ship around 12:00 noon. We'll leave the ship on Thursday morning to catch our plane, and perhaps be home by dinner.

Second, why December 2-13? I've mentioned previously that crowds at Disney will be low with the U.S. Thanksgiving having ended 1½ weeks earlier. In addition, prices are very low, crowds are low (but the parks will be far from empty), weather is historically beautiful, and the threat of hurricanes (primarily a cruise issue) is virtually nil. As a bonus, Christmas decorations will be on display everywhere, and there are several really cool Christmas events, including a candlelight processional with a choir and the reading of the Christmas story, and a massive spectacle of over 5,000,000 Christmas lights in an area of one of the parks. Considerable research has found this time of the year to be optimal for all of the above-mentioned reasons.

Third, none of this is final. Nothing is certain at this point, and there is still much time to consider and discuss all aspects of the vacation. Roughly one year before the trip, I will plan a get-together for everyone in order to give a presentation covering all aspects of the trip, and to discuss and hopefully finalize the most important plans.

Feel free to discuss this issue in the comments.

BoardWalk Villas Video

Below is a 1-minute video about the BoardWalk Villas from Disney's Vacation Planning DVD.

More Info on Cruise Staterooms

To get a better idea of what the staterooms look like, there are photos of category 6 rooms here: http://www.wdwinfo.com/Photos/DCL_Stateroom-cat-5-6/index.htm. Category 4 rooms differ only in that there is an extra few feet of space before the verandah (for the extra pull-down bed), and category 9 rooms differ only in that they have a large porthole window instead of a verandah. Category 11 rooms are a bit shorter, and their layout is a bit different (including the un-split bath).

Here are diagrams for comparisons on the layouts of the rooms (no category 4 layouts are included, but just picture a few extra feet before the verandah).

Category 6:
Category 9:

Category 11:

Details and Options – Revision 1, Part 4 of 4

Disney Cruise

Rather than me going over the cruise in detail here, I think I will instead pass around the Disney Cruise Lines DVD and let people see for themselves. The DVD has a heart-attack portion of Disney cheese (ie. shiny happy people, general lameness, etc.), but it still gives you a good idea of what to expect. I'll try and get the video put up on the blog as well, so those with high-speed connections can view it at their leisure.

There are 12 stateroom categories aboard the ship, but we will only be considering 3 of them (plus 2 extra for the Snyders). The unmentioned categories are available (with the exception of Cats 1-3), but they're just off-shoots of the categories discussed. Here's a run-down of the categories:

Category 11 – Inside stateroom (no natural light)

• 184 square feet
  
• Sleeps 3 or 4 (two in queen-sized bed, one on single convertible sofa; possible 4^th on drop-down bunk)
  
• Single bathroom
  

Category 8 and 9 – Outside stateroom (large porthole window)

• 214 square feet
  
• Sleeps 3 or 4 (two in queen-sized bed, one on single convertible sofa; possible 4^th on drop-down bunk)
  
• Split bath (sink and toilet; sink and shower)
  

Category 6 – Outside stateroom with verandah

• 268 square feet (including verandah)
  
• Sleeps 3 or 4 (two in queen-sized bed, one on single convertible sofa; possible 4^th on drop-down bunk)
  
• Split bath (sink and toilet; sink and shower)
  

Category 4 – Outside stateroom with verandah

• 304 square feet (including verandah)
  
• Sleeps 4 or 5 (two in queen-sized bed, one on single convertible sofa; 4^th on pull-down bed; possible 5^th on drop-down bunk)
  
• Split bath (sink and toilet; sink and shower)
  

Here is a price comparison of each of these rooms. Prices not only include your stateroom, but just about everything else onboard: all of your meals, most of the entertainment, and all of the ports of call. Some things are not included, such as alcohol, spa treatments and massages, all drinks at the bars, certain activities (such as prize bingo, martini tasting, wine tasting, etc.), gratuities, shore excursions (ie. tours and rentals on land), and the exclusive adults-only restaurant ("Palo"), which has a mere $10 overcharge. Note that prices assume 3 people per stateroom, are in U.S. dollars, and are per room (not per person).

• Cat 4 – $2,297
  
• Cat 6 – $1,997
  
• Cat 9 – $1,617
  
• Cat 11 – $1,357
  

A few important points:

1. Regardless of which room you stay in, you have full access to everything on the ship that other passengers do.
   
2. The first two people in a room pay full price. Every additional person adds only $299 to the cost.
   
3. Disney charges the same amount for adults and children.
   
4. For a family of 5, there is an alternative to staying in a Category 4 room. The ship has some Category 8 rooms (identical to Category 9 rooms, but on a higher deck) across the hall from Category 11 rooms. Although there would be no verandah, this would cost less than a Category 4, provides an additional bathroom, and is eligible for two stateroom credits instead of one. Disney doesn't care where people sleep, so sleeping arrangements are at passengers' discretion. For a family of 5:
   
   1. Cat 4 – $2,895
      
   2. Cat 8 + Cat 11 (across the hall from each other) – $2,476
      

Mary, the twins, and myself will be staying in a Cat 9. The additional cost for a verandah isn't worth it to us, but we are willing to pay a bit extra for a split bath and natural light. One last note: Disney may offer free stateroom upgrades when boarding if higher-category staterooms are unbooked.

Details and Options – Revision 1, Part 3 of 4

Resort

We will be staying at the BoardWalk Villas, where Mary and I stayed previously. This option is normally very expensive (see the bottom of this post), but we will be paying less than one-third of the regular cost (by renting points from a Disney Vacation Club member; I'd be happy to share details if anyone wants more information). As a result, we'll be staying at a deluxe resort for between the cost of a value and moderate resort. The BoardWalk is very close to two of the four parks (Epcot and MGM), and is across the lake from the Beach Club Villas. The boardwalk itself has various shops and restaurants; it has a 1920s and 30s feel of an Atlantic seaside resort. The main pool is huge and has a lifeguard, pool-side bar, Jacuzzi, and 200-foot waterslide.

Some might wonder if it's better and/or less expensive to stay off-site. With my plan, neither of these is the case. In addition, we'll have all sorts of fantastic perks and bonuses, including (briefly): Disney's Magical Express airport transportation, eligibility for Disney's Dining Plan, extra dining reservation privileges, unlimited free use of Disney's parks and resorts transportation system, most purchases in the parks and resorts can be charged to your room, and free package delivery to your room.

More information and virtual tours of the BoardWalk Villas and its accommodations are available here: http://dvc.disney.go.com/dvc/guest/resorts/resortDetail?id=ProspectsBoardwalkVillasResortLandingPage

There are a number of options with regards to what types of rooms we have. They depend on how many people will be coming on the vacation and each person or family's budget. Here is a summary of the two room types we will be considering:

Studio Room

• 412 square feet (one big room)
  
• Sleeps 4 (two in queen bed, two in convertible double bed sofa)
  
• Kitchenette with coffee maker, microwave, mini refrigerator, wet bar, toaster, and coffee maker
  
• Balcony, TV, and bathroom vanity separate from the shower and toilet
  

1-Bedroom Villa

• 814 square feet (master suite plus separate living area)
  
• Sleeps 4 (two in king bed, two in convertible queen bed sofa in living area)
  
• Fully equipped kitchen (with appliances, cookware, and tableware)
  
• Balcony, washer and dryer, TV, and DVD player
  

(Snyders note: while these rooms only have bed space for 4, one of the kids could sleep on a floor mattress or in a sleeping bag, or possibly sleep in another room.)

The least expensive option is for each family or group to get a studio room. Mary and I stayed in one on our vacation, and were very happy with it. But I have also considered adding a 1-bedroom villa, for the purpose of everyone getting together in the mornings for breakfast, and also for gathering in the evenings after our days at the parks (not to mention in-room laundry). The drawbacks would be the additional cost, and space concerns. We would actually be getting a 2-bedroom villa, which is just a 1-bedroom villa connected to a studio room. But if this whole space was shared between all guests for breakfast and in the evenings, there would likely be enough space for everyone (although it could be a bit tight). This sharing of space (and some loss of privacy) would mean that those in the 2-bedroom villa would pay no more than the others; everyone would pay an equal amount.

If we decide to only get studio rooms, we could all just prepare our own breakfast in our rooms (using the microwave and toaster), gather in the lobby in the mornings, and perhaps gather at the pool and Jacuzzi in the evenings (for those who are interested). And of course, anyone can get a 1-bedroom villa for their private use only.

In addition to those options, there is also the option of a preferred view. I loved our preferred view over the boardwalk and the lake (both in the mornings and evenings), and we will be getting it again, but it will be up to everyone to decide if it is worth it to them (about $28/night extra per room). Approximate pricing for these options is below. Keep in mind that prices are per room, include tax, and are in Canadian currency.

• Studio room: $126/night (preferred view: $154/night)
  
• 1-bedroom villa: $203/night (preferred view: $246/night)
  
• 1-bedroom villa + studio rooms: (approximate)
  
  • $145/night
    
  • preferred view only with shared rooms: $163/night
    
  • all rooms preferred view: $177/night
    

You may be interested to know that Disney's posted rates for BoardWalk Villas standard-view studio rooms start at over $400 per night; $550 for standard-view 1-bedroom villas.

Details and Options – Revision 1, Part 2 of 4

Florida Transportation

Disney provides free transportation to-and-from the airport and Disney's resorts, called Magical Express. This is done on buses with comfortable padded seats, television monitors, and a bathroom. On the way to our resort, a video will be played about the Walt Disney World Resort. For those who decline to go on the cruise with us, Magical Express will also return them to the airport for free.

While staying at the resort, we will be eligible to use Disney's transportation system between the resorts and parks at no additional cost. This includes using Disney's monorail system, ferryboats, and buses.

Disney charges a premium for cruise transfers. It is much less expensive (and much more convenient) to hire luxury vans to transport us to the cruise ship and back to the airport. This also has the advantage of allowing us to board the ship several hours earlier. The cost for this service will be approximately $40 per person, versus Disney's approximately $80 per person.

Disney World Tickets:

The difference in price between 3-day tickets and 10-day tickets is about $25, so length of stay will have almost no effect on the price of tickets. The one thing to consider is getting "Park Hopper" tickets, which allow you to visit more than one park each day. The itinerary that I'm planning will have us visiting only one park per day; visiting more than one park is unnecessary with solid planning, plus it eats up valuable time. In addition, Park Hopper tickets cost about 20% more.

Dining:

Each of us will be eligible for the Disney Dining Plan, which costs US$39 per adult (ages 10+) and US$11 per child per night stayed. The dining plan works by giving each person 1 token for a table-service meal, 1 token for a counter-service meal, and 1 snack token per night stayed (most things under $4 in the parks is considered a snack for this purpose).

If the dining plan is to be purchased at all, it must be for every guest staying in any given room, for every night of the stay. This does not mean that one has to use (or can only use) the dining plan to buy snacks or meals. As well, if a group of people went to dinner together, some could use dining plan tokens, and some could pay out-of-pocket.

For a family of 5, the dining plan costs a lot of money, but it is certainly less expensive than paying for each meal out-of-pocket. The most economical option is to buy groceries and prepare meals, but it's also extremely inconvenient to go back-and-forth from the parks several times a day (and especially while at Disney, time is money). However, it may be worthwhile to buy only lunch from counter-service restaurants in the parks, and buy groceries to prepare dinners and to bring snacks into the parks. This would almost definitely require a villa with a full kitchen (at significant expense; information on villas at the resort is coming in part 3), unless you were to stick to microwave dinners and non-perishables, but would still require more time and effort (in addition to having to pay for groceries).

In my opinion, the dining plan is worth the money and time saved, especially while on vacation. Eating at Disney isn't cheap, but if you can afford the dining plan, I believe it is the best value in time and money. The savings from using the dining plan are significant, and the freedom to order whatever you want on the menu is worth something by itself.

It is also possible to use 2 table-service tokens for a meal at one of Disney's Signature restaurants, which offer top-quality service and gourmet food. This would be really nice to do for at least one dinner at Disney. Even better, we wouldn't have to make up for using that extra token; because we'll likely eat lunch at the airport on our first day, we'll have an extra counter-service token that could be used for dinner. Note that room-service is available, but also requires the use of 2 table-service tokens when using the dining plan.

Details and Options – Revision 1, Part 1 of 4

The vast majority of the trip is already planned, but anything or everything could change in the next 5 years. I'm going to make several bite-sized postings outlining my initial draft of the trip in detail. Comments, questions, and concerns are welcome and encouraged; this is everybody's vacation, and I'm not here to dictate what has to be done. All of my choices have a purpose, and I'll do my best to explain them, but I'm always open to ideas and suggestions. Y'all can contact me any way you'd like, including the question box on the sidebar. Important note: All prices listed are in Canadian currency unless otherwise noted.

General

First, the reason for choosing this vacation. Mary and I enjoyed our trip in January 2007 so much that most of the trip, or at least the "skeleton" of it, is based on it. The destination, resort, and cruise are the same. Of course, not everything is the same, due to their being more people and kids on the trip, but our resort, for example, is ideal for either a couple or a large, multi-generational group. Our days at the parks will be different, as will our activities on the ship. One challenge for me is going to be how to either keep things balanced so that everyone will enjoy them, or provide separate options tailored to different types of people; input is especially welcome in this regard.

Dates

The length of the full trip (11 nights, 12 days) was determined by the Disney parks and cruise. Disney's 4 theme parks ideally require 6 full days to best experience them, and we found Disney's 4-night cruise to be of a good length (although it would be longer if we weren't staying at Disney for a week). Here's an outline of the full trip:

• Day 1: Travel, settle in, dinner, relax
  
• Days 2-7: These 6 days will be dedicated to visiting the parks
  
• Day 8: Leaving Disney World Resort and embarking on the cruise
  
• Days 9-11: 3 full days on the cruise (one day at sea; one day it Nassau, Bahamas; and one day at Disney's private island, Castaway Cay)
  
• Day 12: Disembark the ship and return home
  

The exact date of the trip was determined by researching several important factors: budgeting, crowd levels, weather (particularly hurricane season), temperatures, resort pricing, airfare pricing, cruise pricing, and cruise dates. The result: December 2-13, 2012.

Getting There and Back

Driving sucks for several reasons: time, energy expense, gas expense, meal expense, vehicle wear-and-tear, lodging expense, and possibly lost income for those who don't receive vacation pay. Compared to flying, driving can easily be more expensive.

We'll be flying out of Buffalo International Airport (BUF), likely with JetBlue and/or Southwest. They're both low-cost airlines, but you wouldn't know it. Mary and I enjoyed flying with both of them, but JetBlue came out on top due to their in-flight satellite TV at every individual seat (which make the time fly as well). We had layovers with both airlines, but they weren't a hassle at all, and were worth the lower price. Mary and I paid around $350 total (for both of us, round-trip, including all taxes and fees).

The best option for getting to the airport and back will be for us to drive there separately. This comes at a cost of about $80 for two weeks per vehicle, but is the least-expensive option.

Part 2 of 4 will be posted tomorrow!

Letter #4 - Revelations

Hello all,

Just a reminder that of my letters and more can be viewed at The Great Gerryts Clan Vacation Blog ( http://gerryts.blogspot.com ).

Here we are at my last introductory letter. Last time I revealed that The Great Gerryts Clan Vacation is scheduled for 2012, when we all have flying cars and live on the moon. Right away, I have to point out something important. Saving $1/day per person isn’t absolutely necessary. There will be different options available to provide flexibility for each person/family. $1/day will pay for the ultimate super duper option, however.

While 2012 isn’t perhaps as soon as some of you may have hoped, there is much wisdom in this. $1 saved (per person, per day… you know the drill) adds up to $365 in one year. Saved over 5 years, that’s a lot of money. The full-sized vacation will most likely not cost that much money, but better to save too much than too little. (Snyders… you’re a family of 5, but $4/day will certainly be enough.) Plus, if you’re putting your vacation savings in a dedicated savings account as I suggest, you’ll be earning a nice bit of compound interest on it.

Now, I’m sure some of you may be a bit interested in knowing where all that money will be going to. Well, my carefully-planted spy has shared that some of you think it’s a cruise. Some of you may suspect it is a trip to Walt Disney World Resort. Well you’re WRONG. It’s both.

Sunday, December 2, 2012. The U.S. Thanksgiving has recently passed, so travel is low, vacation destinations are un-crowded and discounted (partially because vacationing on Mars is now all the rage), and the weather in Florida is beautiful. Everyone gets up at the crack of dawn and meets to drive to Buffalo, where we will board a plane for Orlando. Disney’s comfortable buses will take us from the airport to Walt Disney World’s BoardWalk Villas resort, where we will be staying in deluxe accommodations for the next week.

On the following Sunday, two luxury vans will take us to Port Canaveral, where we will board the Disney Wonder, one of Disney Cruise Line’s two amazing cruise ships (actually, by 2012 there will be 3 or 4 of them). Our 4-night cruise will take us to Nassau, Bahamas, and to Disney’s private island in the Bahamas (weather in the Bahamas will be ideal also). On Thursday morning, we disembark the ship and fly home, arriving in the early evening.

There are several opportunities here for shortening your stay or decreasing expense. One is choose a lower-cost stateroom on the cruise, or to omit the cruise altogether (or even the Disney resort stay, although this will be the core of the vacation). Another is to arrive at the resort later than the main group, perhaps to stay only for a few nights instead of the full 7. It is my hope that most or all of us come for at least the core one-week Disney resort stay, although ideally everyone would join us for the full experience. In all likelihood it really will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, having all of us there together. I’m 100% confident that if there are any regrets, they won’t belong to those who join us.

Up next for the blog: starting tomorrow, a detailed four-part series on the specific aspects of the vacation. I will be talking about why December 2, 2012 is the target date, transportation, theme parks, dining, our resort, and the cruise. Please take advantage of the “Ask a Question” feature of the blog to share any questions, concerns, suggestions, recipes, stock tips, or whatever. Hopefully I’ll get enough questions that I can do some “Questions and Answers” posts on the blog. Get writing!

Matt

Letter #3 - Commitment

Hello all,

Just a reminder that all of my letters up to this point, along with other helpful information, can be viewed at The Great Gerryts Clan Vacation Blog ( http://gerryts.blogspot.com ).

First, the results of the survey for those who are interested. Out of 7 responses, 71% said 1½ weeks would be ideal, while 29% preferred 1 week. 57% voted for spring, 29% said it doesn't matter, and 14% voted for summer. Everyone said they could easily save $0.50 to $1.00 per day per person. And the shocking result for Matt being a sexy cowboy: 100% pure, organic, grain-fed "You betcha!" Congratulations to me on this land-slide victory!

I've mentioned that the vacation isn't planned for 2007 or 2008. There are two equally-important reasons for this. I'd like for this experience to be enjoyed and remembered by the current newbies, Faith and the incoming twins. The other reason is budget.

I've mentioned the "$0.50 to $1.00 per person per day" mantra several times now, and for most or all of us, that's a breeze. Some of you won't have to bother saving at all, but the key to this vacation being affordable for the rest of us is the combination of those small savings, plus the length of time we're stashing them away. Our commitment to daily tossing a loonie into the vacation jar will be very important.

Here's your mission, and I realize this may be a bit of a shocker. That commitment to saving $0.50 to $1.00 per person per day will need to continue for the next 5 years… The Great Gerryts Clan Vacation will take place in 2012. That might seem like a decade away… but it's only half that ;). It's been over 7 years since we breached the millennium, and for me at least, it only seems like a couple of years ago. Most importantly, this is the key to the vacation being so easily accessible to everyone; small savings spread over the course of a few years. Regarding the kids on the trip, the youngest would be 5, and the oldest would be 12.

If this news has put a damper on your enthusiasm, stay tuned! My next and final letter will detail exactly what The Great Gerryts Clan Vacation will be. All will be revealed at last!

Matt

Blog Additions

Just a quick note about a few additions to the blog:

• Near the bottom of the sidebar, you can enter your e-mail address to have new blog entries e-mailed to you.
• There is a section on the sidebar to write questions. Share any questions or concerns you have, and they will be addressed on the blog.
• New entries are now categorized, so you can look up blog entries by category.

The next letter will be posted tomorrow!

Letter #2 - Budget

Hello all,

Now that the seed has been planted, I would like to share more information on The Great Gerryts Clan Vacation. If you didn't receive or read the first letter, I'm posting my letters as I write them at The Great Gerryts Clan Vacation Blog ( http://gerryts.blogspot.com ). The blog is slowly expanding to host more information, such as some tips for budgeting that I found really helpful.

I am planning the vacation so that it will offer flexibility in order to accommodate different schedules and budgets. As I've said, I'm confident that budget won't be a problem for anyone. If Mary and I can afford it (keeping in mind that we'll be joined by at least the twins), anyone can. And we're not going to have to scrape by to do it; this vacation really will be accessible to everyone.

One of the questions in the survey was, "Is saving $0.50 to $1.00 per day (per person) something you would easily be able to do?" This is actually a statement disguised as a question. Everyone's answer is likely, "Of course it is!" $0.50 to $1.00 a day is a drop in the bucket; a coffee from Tim Horton's costs much more than that. Even for a family with kids, the cost is negligible when considering such a small amount (and a quick note: a family of 5 would only need to save as though they were a family of 4). If you still have doubts about expense, I have posted what I think are some genuinely helpful tips and ideas for everyone on the blog.

On our January vacation, Mary and I paid about $1,000 less than what most people pay for the exact same vacation, and everything was top-notch; we went on a deluxe vacation for the price of a value vacation. This was our reward for hundreds of hours of research, and it was well worth it. I will be applying what I've learned to planning and organizing The Great Gerryts Clan Vacation.

Behind the scenes, I've already put in quite a bit of time into researching this vacation, and I'm continuing to put together what I know is going to be a great experience. I'm currently putting together a DVD that will fully outline the details of the trip. It will be ready by the time I've sent the fourth and final letter next week.

Here are another few hints about the vacation:

1. It isn't camping.
   
2. We're not going to Antarctica.
   
3. You already know that the vacation won't be happening in 2007. Would you believe it won't be happening in 2008 either? More on this in my next letter.
   

Matt

Budget and Money-Saving Tips

Saving $0.50 to $1.00 per day per person is something that most of us are able to do no problem. Even so, I have come across some really great tips that I hope will be helpful. Although I haven't revealed much about the vacation yet, the best time to start saving is now. I will have additional tips and ideas (including ones specifically for kids) once more is revealed about the vacation.

• Open a savings account at your bank exclusively for vacation savings. This is a very important step! At the end of each month, deposit all vacation savings into the savings account. This way you'll not only be less tempted to spend the money, but that money will earn interest while in the account. Doing this will require very little time and effort, but it will add up to huge savings.
  
• (On a related note, if you have credit card debt, it is more financially efficient to put these savings towards paying off that debt than putting it into a savings account. Once credit card debt is paid down, switch over to the savings account.)
  

• Find a container that you can use as your vacation jar.
  
• For families, one idea is to have dedicated piggy banks for each of the kids. Just before bed, for example, give each of the children a loonie to put in their vacation piggy bank. If you can afford to, add an additional loonie to the "family" vacation jar.
  
• At the end of each week, empty out all of the change in your wallet/purse/pocket into the vacation jar (picking out the toonies first is fine ;).
  
• (To take the last tip a bit further, never spend your quarters (or loonies even); save them for the vacation jar at the end of the week.)
  
• If you buy coffee on a regular basis, resolve to make the coffee at home and put it in a travel mug, then deposit the savings into your vacation jar. By skipping one large Tim Horton's coffee each day, you'll be saving over $500 per year.
  
• If you eat out a lot, calculate how much money you would save by cutting back by even once a week. By skipping just one fast-food meal a week, you can save $200-$300 per year.
  
• Have a garage sale (or a virtual sale on eBay.ca or Kijiji.ca), and deposit the earnings into the vacation savings account.
  
• If your bank will accept unrolled coins without charging extra, great! Otherwise, either roll them manually or consider using a CoinStar machine (we have one in our local Superstore). If using a CoinStar machine, only put in pennies, nickels, and dimes. The machines take a hefty chunk of 9% out of whatever you put in, so pick out the quarters and loonies (and toonies) first, and roll them separately.
  
• If you have no pressing financial needs (ha!), deposit your tax return into your vacation account. Or even half of it.
  
• If you have a credit card that earns cash back, deposit your cash-back cheques into your vacation savings account.
  
• Shop around for home and car insurance once a year. I recommend PC Financial Insurance (multiple cars will receive a discount, as will adding home insurance).
  

• And finally, resolve to not spend your vacation savings on anything else.

Letter #1 - Genesis

Hello all,

This letter is being sent to the following people: Henry and Dieni, Tom and Brenda, Cindy and Barb, Marlene, Chris, and Steve.

While on vacation this past January, Mary and I kept thinking how great it would be for our extended family to all get together for a vacation at some point. I have recently done more serious thinking about such a vacation. I initially had doubts that all or most of you would be sold on participating, but I am now confident that a few weeks from now, each of you will be excited about and committed to joining us for… The Great Gerryts Clan Vacation.

Already I am convinced that this will be an amazing once-in-a-lifetime experience that will create some incredible, life-long memories. Over the next few weeks, I will be providing further information and encouragement by way of The Great Gerryts Clan Vacation Blog (http://gerryts.blogspot.com). On the blog is a very short 4-question survey that will provide me with some important information. Please take a minute to fill it out.

You are no doubt trying to guess what this experience I have in mind is. Here are a few hints:

1. This experience will be surprisingly affordable and accessible to everyone. Well, I guess not all that surprising now that I’ve told you.
2. This experience will not take place this year (nor last).

An e-mail notice will be sent when the blog is updated next. Stay tuned for more information!

Matt